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Throughout "The Scarlet Letter" there is a theme of being sin. In the very beginning of the book the theme of sin is introduced to the reader. A way that Hawthrone displays this in the story is through the protagonist Hester Prynne. Hester gets pregnant and she has to hold her baby as she stood up on a platform for public censure. People disapprove of Hester and they start to talk about her while she is up there. She also has the letter "A" that stands for adulterer stitched onto a badge that she has to wear on her dress. The people also connect to the theme of sin because a jail and cemetery are quickly establish. They are so quick to establish it because the people know that evil and death can not be avoided, making them inevitable to everyone.

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When Hawthorne died it was though of that he died from gastrointestinal cancer. A former president discovered that Hawthorne was dead. President Franklin Pierce traveled with him when he went to New Hampshire. Hawthorne had a former family member who was a leading judge during the Salem witch trials. Because of this it lead Hawthorne to change his name by adding a "w" to his last name. Even though "The Scarlet Letter" was immediately a best-seller it was not because of its popularity of the story line. It was because of the "Custom House" and how it alluded to his political enemies.

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In the first chapter there is a rose bush. The rose bush is meant to represent Hester. It is a symbol of Hester and her sin. The rose bud represents her being pregnant and the thorns on the rose bush represent her sin. It means that even though Hester committed a sin there was something good that came out of it and that was another human life. In Chapter 2, at the prison, the public gatherings and scaffold are a symbol of Puritan belief. Both of these places are in central public areas. The belief shown in this symbolism relates back to the theme of sin and how it condemns the world. Since sin condemns our world, anyone who commits such an act should be punished publicly and that is what the public gatherings and scaffold represent in the story.

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Life in the Puritan 17th Century Massachusetts Bay Colony (continued)

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Life in the Puritan 17th Century Massachusetts Bay Colony (continued)

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"The Scarlet Letter" was written during the 1800s and Nathaniel Hawthorn was born and raised in Massachusetts which impacts the reflection of the 17th century Massachusetts Bay Colony. The book relates to the colony by the Puritanism and the social and political aspects. The protagonist reflects a lot of what happened during the 17th century. Hester Prynne's behavior and representation tests the establishment. In chapter two there is a conversation between two women "this woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die". This reflects the religious aspect of the Puritan life. Throughout the book there are references to the 17th century Massachusetts Bay colony either relating to religion, social, political, or or more than one aspect.

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Life in the Puritan 17th Century Massachusetts Bay Colony 

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Life in the Puritan 17th Century Massachusetts Bay Colony 

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The Massachusetts Bay Company founded the Massachusetts Bay Colony during the Great Puritan Migration. It was strictly a Puritan company and Charles the I approved trading in New England. Puritans followed John Winthrop and prepared to set sail for the New World. There were 12 ships that were apart of the Winthrop fleet and on June 12 they all arrived in Salem, Massachusetts. When they settled there was a scarce amount of water. William Blackstone was a friend of Winthrop from University of Cambridge and he was living close by. He invited the colony to live with him on the peninsula and their settlement began. The colony was named after their hometown and they invited many more people from England and their colony expanded immensely. What is now modern day Boston was land that Blackstone perceived to be his. The Puritans ended up take over most of it so he sold the remaining land and he moved to modeled day Rhode Island.

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The book "The Scarlet Letter" was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. He was born on July 4, 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts. His mother was a widow with two young girls and Hawthorne. They lived in poverty and but he managed to graduate from Bowdoin College in 1825. When he returned home he adamant on becoming a short story writer. Hawthorne did not achieve his goal of becoming a writer for 12 years and he got a publication of his book "Twice-Told Tales". After he got married he had "The Scarlet Letter" published and another book. Hawthorne eventually traveled and on May 19, 1864 in Plymouth, New Hampshire he died.

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Hawthorne also used "The Scarlet Letter" to portray his theme about what was happening during the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The story reflected what happened in during that time and also how he felt during that time. The characters portrayed what was happening and Hawthorne was able to incorporate that into his writing, especially in the "Custom House". Hypocrisy is another theme that is portrayed in the book. When Hester becomes pregnant, Dimmesdale gets physical marks on his body. In order for Pearl to love him as her father, he must confess first before she can do so.

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Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. Signet Classics, 1959.

“10 Things You May Not Know About Nathaniel Hawthorne.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, www.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-nathaniel-hawthorne

“The Custom House Chapter of The Scarlet Letter: Introduction.” Text of The Deposition of Ann Putnam, Jr. Against Giles Corey, September 9, 1692, www.hawthorneinsalem.org/Literature/customhousesketch/Introduction.html.

https://tse4.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.8kKjLM5vyqWWDVNZVUMDbAHaKP&pid=Api

“History of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.” History of Massachusetts, 13 Aug. 2018, historyofmassachusetts.org/history-of-the-massachusetts-bay-colony/.

SparkNotes, SparkNotes, www.sparknotes.com/lit/scarlet/section2/.

“The Scarlet Letter and Its Portrayal of 17th Century Colonial Puritanism - 886 Words.” Study Guides and Book Summaries, 5 Apr. 2017, freebooksummary.com/the-scarlet-letter-and-its-portrayal-of-17th-century-colonial-puritanism-8175.

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More symbolism throughout the book is the letter "A" that Hester has. The "A" stands for adultery. Adultery symbolizes, sin, skill, hard work, and more. Towards the end of the book there is sunlight that shines but only on specified people. The sunlight symbolizes purity and being calm. When it shines on Pearl it was representing her being free. Hester also had the sunlight shone on her but hers represented her being calm and at peace with herself. Pearl also is a symbol of balance for Hester. This is because Hester got pregnant which was her sin but then she was blessed with having a child. It is a balance in karma and that is what Pearl represented because pearls can balance a persons karma and strengthen relationships. Her name is also symbolic because in the text it says "of great price-purchased with all she had..her mother's only treasure!". Pearl also represents the price that it cost Hester to have Pearl along with the process which compares to the process of how pearls are made.